Are you thinking that you are probably the only one in the world who is suffering from psoriasis? Well, you are wrong. Thousands of people suffer everyday from the itchiness, pain, and discomfort that psoriasis brings, and because of that, a lot of so-called psoriasis remedies have surfaced in the market, from psoriasis creams to oral medications. But before we get down to the remedies for psoriasis, let us first define what psoriasis is.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the skin and the joints. It is pretty easy to spot a person suffering from psoriasis, since the symptoms clearly manifest in the skin. A person with psoriasis has red scaly patches on his skin, although it is not contagious. These patches are called psoriatic plaques, which are inflamed areas of the skin. Moreover, there is excessive skin production in these areas, thus the accumulation of skin results to a silvery white appearance. These psoriatic plaques can affect in any area of the body, although it is most commonly seen in the elbows and the knees.
Other symptoms include dry, cracked skin that has the tendency to bleed, itching, soreness, thickened nails, and swollen and stiff joints.
Psoriasis goes through a cycle of remissions and exacerbations. However, there are chances that the disease can go into complete remission, although in most cases, it returns eventually.
Types of psoriasis
Psoriasis has several types, the most common of which is plaque psoriasis. Also known as psoriasis vulgaris, it is characterized by dry, raised red skin plaques or lesions, with a thin covering of silvery scales. These plaques can be painful or itchy, and it can be found in just about any part of your body. In severe cases, there may be bleeding around the skin of your joints.
The second type is nail psoriasis, which basically affects the nails in your fingers and toes. The nails appear to be pitting or ridged, and there may be discoloration and abnormal nail growth. These nails may become brittle, causing it to separate from the nail bed and crumble. Another type is scalp psoriasis, which is basically the same as psoriasis vulgaris, except that the area affected is the scalp. You will notice dead skin flakes on your shoulders and hair when you have this condition.
Guttate psoriasis is triggered by a streptococcal infection, and usually affects people aged less than 30. Usually seen in the extremities, scalp, and trunk, it is characterized by small round sores covered by a thin scale.
Inverse or flexural psoriasis affects the skin folds in the armpit, groin, inframammary fold, and genital areas, and is characterized by smooth patches of inflamed skin. Overweight people are the ones that are usually affected. This makes a good breeding ground for fungal infections, and is aggravated by sweating and friction.
One uncommon type of psoriasis is pustular psoriasis, which appears as pus-filled bumps surrounded by inflamed skin. It can either be generalized or localized in one part only. It develops within hours and dries up 1-2 days after its appearance. However, it can reappear again after a few weeks. Other symptoms associated with pustular psoriasis are chills, fever, itching, and fatigue.
Another uncommon psoriasis type is erythrodermic psoriasis, characterized by a red, peeling rash that covers the entire body. These rashes are extremely itchy. In severe cases, this type of psoriasis can be fatal, since it can disrupt the thermoregulatory and barrier functions of the skin.
Finally, psoriatic arthritis involves not just the skin but the joints as well. It is named as such because the pain felt at the joints is typical of the pain felt in arthritis. It does not necessarily cause a disability, but the joint stiffness and damage can cause permanent deformity in the long run.
Causes and Complications
The cause of psoriasis is not fully understood, although it is said to be an autoimmune disease. In simple terms, an autoimmune disease is when the body attacks its own healthy cells, mistaking it for an infection.
Since it is a chronic condition, psoriasis is usually triggered by different factors, such as streptococcal infections (as in guttate psoriasis), skin injury, stress, smoking, cold weather, alcohol drinking, and drugs like lithium and beta blockers.
Because psoriasis affects the skin, it can disrupt its functions, thereby leading to a few complications. Fortunately, these complications only happen in severe cases, such as in pustular psoriasis, where there can be a fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Other complications, like low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, are already psychological, since the physical appearance is affected.
Treatment of psoriasis
As what was mentioned earlier in this article, there are many psoriasis treatments available in the market. For mild to moderate psoriasis, topical creams are the treatments of choice. These topical treatments are corticosteroids, synthetic forms of Vitamin D, retinoids, calcineurin inhibitors, salicylic acid, coal tar, and moisturizers. Some are used to treat the visible symptoms of psoriasis, while others target the cause of the disease.
When the psoriasis is severe, these topical treatments are combined with oral drugs. Examples of these drugs are retinoids, methotrexate, cyclosporine, hydroxyurea, and biologics. There are also drugs that can be injected.
Phototherapy is another treatment option. It makes use of either natural or artificial UV light to treat psoriasis.
A natural approach to treating psoriasis
If you want to try a more natural approach in the treatment of your disease, one very good fruit that I can recommend is acai berry. Unfortunately, it only grows in the rainforests of Brazil, so taking it in its raw form is not possible, unless you are a Brazilian native. It is considered to be a wonder fruit, basically because of all the benefits that it has. Examples are weight loss, increase in stamina, cardiac stability, boost in immune system, and body detoxification.
Since the main cause of psoriasis is the immune system, acai berry can help solve psoriasis problems by boosting the immune system. When this happens, the body will be able to improve the functioning of its immune system, and the disease will slowly fade away. This is possible because of the high level of antioxidants contained in a single acai berry.
You can take the acai berry in its freeze dried or powdered form. In this form, you are assured that you are getting 100% acai berry extract, with no added preservatives. This is in contrast with the juice form of the acai berry, since it requires preservatives to keep it from going stale.
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